


Don't you look fetching?

by AlyxRae



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute, Dogs, First Dates, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Meet-Cute, i wrote this in a day, keith wears crop tops, lance is a dog walker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 05:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12292500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyxRae/pseuds/AlyxRae
Summary: Lance is a dog walker, and one day something a little strange happens. But it does get him a date with a cute boy with violet eyes.





	Don't you look fetching?

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Ну разве ты не привлекательный?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255301) by [DreamerX2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerX2/pseuds/DreamerX2)



> Inspired by a true story. 
> 
> No really, this actually happened to my sister. The beginning of the story at least. I still can't get over it. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks [annalyia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annalyia/pseuds/annalyia) for being my beta!

Being a dog sitter was more exciting than people think.

Originally, watching dogs was a desperate way to stay afloat for Lance, while he applied for job after job with little luck. No one seemed too keen on hiring him for some unknown reason. His resume was solid, he was polite and professional during interviews, but no matter what, he always got that dreaded call a few weeks later, telling him he’d lost another one.

Lance was surviving on ramen noodles and the kindness of his roommate to stay alive, but the guilt from being a freeloader was getting to him.

Hence, dog sitting.

First it was just based on recommendation. He watched Allura’s chocolate Labrador (Caramel) for a week, staying at her place and taking the dog out on hikes, feeding him and whatnot. It kind of doubled as a housesitting gig too, which made it feel like a mini vacation. And if Lance pretended that Allura’s spacious two bedroom apartment was his, she would never know. Just like she would never know that he used three of her bath bombs in one afternoon and had to run out with what little money he had to buy her three new ones. Still, it was totally worth it for how absolutely _luscious_ his skin felt for the next few days.

From then, Allura actually hired him regularly. Lance would swing by her place in between classes and take Caramel out on little walks around the block. Beforehand, Allura would use up most of her lunch break to run home and check on her dog, but now with Lance, she could actually spend time eating lunch. And possibly chatting up that fucking Adonis that works in the same office as her.

Honestly, the one time Lance visited her, he about had a heart attack when that guy stepped out of his office. Lance dropped his backpack, totally by accident, just as the guy passed. Not only was he dreamy and hella ripped, but he had the sweetest smile Lance had ever seen.

_#blessed_

Of course when he saw the way Mr. Tall, Dark and oh so Sexy was looking at Allura, Lance knew it was a lost cause. It’s not like it was the first time Lance had seen someone head over heels for his cousin. This time though, it just might be mutual.

Checking on Caramel became part of his daily routine and Allura was so relieved that she started recommending him to her co-workers. A couple of drop ins here and there to check on the pups, a walk or two for the owners who lived in apartments, and Lance had a nice little side business going.

One afternoon, busy on his phone and typing in his schedule, Lance did a quick google search to see if there was a better way to keep track of his clients. And that’s when he found Rover.

It was basically one of those nanny websites, but for animals. Lance applied that very day and after a background check (yes, it was that intense), his profile was up and running in the span of a week.

Lance was kind of fascinated by the genius of it. The website let him post an availability schedule, preference on what kind of things he’d be willing to do (boarding animals, checkups, house stays, etc) and it also let people message him with ease. Within the first few hours, people were sending him requests. Being a broke ass college student, Lance felt like he suddenly hit the jackpot.

It was easy and fun work. He basically got to have a free dog for a few hours out of the day. Not only that, but walking multiple dogs got him outside in the warm sun, instead of where he’d most likely be. On an average day, he would probably be curled up on his couch at home, re-watching Grey’s Anatomy for the tenth time.

Spending time with animals helped lower his anxiety with school, and also kind of filled a hole he didn’t realize had been growing ever since he moved away from home. After all, Lance always had a pet growing up and it was weird adjusting to a life where there wasn’t a fluffy companion you could come home too. Well, he had his roommate, Hunk, but he wasn’t exactly fluffy. But man, he sure was cuddly.

By the time his second semester came to an end, Lance had managed to find himself the perfect job and he no longer felt like a freeloading loaf of stale bread. It was a win/win situation.

With the school year finally over, Lance was left to revel in his new freedom and quickly filled it with more work. Summer meant a lot of people going on vacation and that meant there were a ton of dogs that needed looking after. Lance was booked back to back for weeks, living out of a backpack and a small duffle bag as he rode his bike up and down the city. Between house/dog sitting, walks and check ins, he was busier than he had been during the semester.

Lance was in between check ins at the moment, taking his leave from the house he was currently staying at (Three Yorkies in a three bedroom house with Netflix a.k.a The Dream™). He had two houses to swing by and feed the dogs that were there. Both owners were only gone for a short time and the houses had doggie doors so Lance only really needed to make sure they were fed.

The first house was home to some sort of mix breed, something that looked like a cross between a Beagle and a Golden Retriever, which was not the strangest dog breed he’d even encountered (i.e. anything mixed with a Corgi).

Lance slipped in and out, fumbling with the key for a second while he tried to remember which one it was. He fed the dog, rolled around on the floor with it for a bit before moving on to his next job.

That was where things got interesting.

The owner of the next house also had a way of making some side money. She rented out her two extra rooms to Air B&B and currently had a guest staying at her place. Why said guest couldn’t feed the dog was a mystery, but Lance didn’t mind too much. It was extra cash for him. Lance hadn’t met the Air B&B guest yet, apart from hearing the person swear after a thunk rang out from their closed door. The owner said that she told her guest Lance would be around, so at least there was the comfort of knowing that whoever was staying at her house wouldn’t think he was breaking in or something. That would be hard to explain to the cops.

Lance hopped off his bike and walked it up to the front door. There was a slim chance that anyone would try to swipe his shitty bike, but Lance tended to be a little paranoid. He parked it right in front of the living room window to keep an eye on it.

Fumbling with his heavy key ring again, Lance found the blue painted key and slid it into the lock. As soon as he stepped in, a voice called out.

“I’m shirtless,” they shouted from the kitchen, their voice surprisingly void of any embarrassment.

Lance on the other hand felt his face flush. “Uhh… I’m here for the dog?”

Right on cue, the most precious Boxer came trotting around the corner. The happy-looking dog, Smokey, began wagging her tail when she saw Lance and hurried over to her food bowl like she did every morning.

The food bowl. Right by the back door. Right passed the kitchen. The kitchen where the mysterious voice called out announcing, without hesitation, that he was currently shirtless.

_Awesome._

“Oh, so that’s what her note meant.” The owner of the voice peaked around the wall. “Hi, I guess.”

“Hi.” Lance waved a little at curious-looking violet eyes glancing around the corner. From where he was standing Lance could see that he was, in fact, shirtless. Mystery Boy was also holding a mug and wearing a bright green headband that pushed back his dark bangs. As for the rest of his hair, it was long enough to reach his shoulders.

_Dammit…_ Lance inwardly groaned. _My one true weakness. Shirtless boys with pretty eyes and long hair._

A small huff had Lance tearing his gaze away from Mystery Boy. Smokey was looking at him with big ol’ puppy eyes while she sat by her food bowl. Lance walked briskly passed the kitchen, catching a glimpse at the other human present ( _holy shit, he’s only wearing a towel_ …), and went to feed Smokey.

The Boxer lit up as he measured out the right amount of food and dug in as soon as it was in her bowl. Lance strode to the back door, grabbing a few dog toys as he did and went outside. He’d gotten into the habit of playing with the dogs he checked on during these short visits, just for fun. That and he felt guilty just coming and going from these places.

Play time with Smokey also gave Mystery Boy time to run to his room without it being awkward. Lance could only imagine how embarrassed he would be in that situation. If it were him, Lance doubted he’d even had the nerve to announce his presence. Most likely, he would have hidden in the pantry until the coast was clear. That or overcorrected really hard and just sprinted back to his room, slamming the door shut. There was no in between with Lance McClain.

After a good amount of time had passed, Lance wrestled the slobber-soaked chew toy from Smokey and headed back inside. He locked up and put everything back where he found it, giving Smokey a few extra scratches behind the ear while he moved. Lance was so focused on the dog following him to the front door that he almost failed to notice the other person in the living room.

Mystery Boy was back, fully clothed in loose pajamas and lounging on the couch with his mug and a laptop. Apparently, this guy had a very high tolerance for embarrassing situations. Lance had fully expected him to stay in his room until he had gone, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen.

“Uh, so I’m going now,” Lance stated, his voice a little loud in the quiet house.

“Do you do live around here?” Mystery Boy asked, his violet eyes focused as he paused for an answer.

“Yeah, well not this neighborhood. I live closer to the college in an apartment.”

“Is it cheap?”

Lance shrugged. “Depends on your definition of cheap.”

The other boy stared, waiting. Lance sighed and elaborated, “Rent is average, but the place itself is cheap. The kitchen cupboards are basically cardboard and the walls are so thin you can hear the person in the next room breathing. But I’m broke, so yeah.”

“Hmm, good to know.”

“You live around here? I’m guessing no, considering you’re staying here through Air B&B.”

“I’m from Texas, moved around a lot as a kid and now am looking at schools.”

“Shopping around, I see. Well, the college here is pretty good, kind of a party school, but you’d probably guessed that due to the amount of bars near campus. Living here’s not so bad either. There’s a ton to do all the time.”

Mystery Boy nodded. “Good to know, thanks. I’m Keith, by the way.”

“Lance.”

“Nice to meet you.”

  

* * *

 

 

Okay, so Lance may have swung by Smokey’s house a few extra times that day. And the next day. And… well, and the day after that… and, okay Lance would be the first one to admit that he was using his dog sitting as an excuse to see Keith again. Only problem, Keith never seemed to be there after their first meeting.

Three whole days went by without so much as a whisper from the room where Keith was staying, and Lance was beginning to wonder if he had left shortly after their conversation. He might be a little heartbroken, but ask him and he’d quickly deny it.

It wasn’t until Friday when Lance was taking one of his more rowdy pups out for a walk in a nearby park that Lance saw Keith again. And this time, well this time Keith was wearing more than an ill-fitting t-shirt. Home boy looked like he could stop traffic with the wink an eye.

It was the middle of summer, meaning that the less clothes, the better. Keith seemed to take that idea to heart when he decided to wear half a shirt (half a tank top, really). His hair was tied in a ponytail high on his head with sun glassed perched on his nose. As for his legs, well, Lance was sure the leggings he wore were actually painted on. The thin black fabric hugged him in all the right places and if Keith wasn’t also wearing shorts, Lance would have been able see _everything_ in HD. Holy hell, Keith was attractive.

Lance felt a tug on his arm and realized the Corgi mix was getting a little antsy. He knelt down and cooed at the puppy, Forrest, and was rewarded with a slobbery kiss on his cheek. Several slobbery kisses.

Okay, his cheek was practically dripping wet by the time he got Forrest to calm down.

Lance plopped down on the grass next to the puppy, laughing as the little guy rolled in the dirt.

“Oh hey, I know you.” Keith had wondered over, pushing his sun glasses up to the top of his head. Lance felt like he was going to melt under those violet eyes.

Putting on his best nonchalant look, Lance smiled. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing, just out walking.” Keith sat down and was immediately attacked by Forrest. “This your dog?”

“Nope, just another client. His name is Forrest and he’s a six month old terror.” Lance tried to rein the puppy in, but the little guy seemed enamored with Keith. _Get in line, buddy_. Lance thought.

“So you do this for a living? Walk dogs?”

“Hell yeah. Pay is good, hours are amazing, it’s like the dream job I never knew I wanted.”

Keith nodded, his fingers getting tangled in Forrest’s long fur. “Huh… that’s cool.”

“I know.”

After that, the conversation died down. Lance couldn’t help but sneak a few glances over to his temporary companion. Keith was really, really good looking. Stylish and hot outfit aside, the guy’s face was practically angelic, it looked so damn perfect. He looked biracial, like Lance himself, making it impossible to pin down his ethnicity. There was defiantly Asian in there, Japanese or maybe Korean, but the color of his eyes was so strange that Lance honestly considered alien as part of Keith’s DNA.

_Hot alien,_ Lance mused.

“Didn’t you say you were from Texas?” Lance asked suddenly. He tried not to make the question sound bizarre, but considering how bluntly he said it, he was probably coming off as a weirdo.

“Yeah, why?” Keith asked, unperturbed.

“Shouldn’t you like, I don’t know, saw ‘y’all’ and like dress like a cowboy?”

Keith blinked, his violet eyes narrow. “Are all your ideas of Texas based off of stereotypes?”

“Uh… yes?” This is the part of the conversation where Lance fully expected Keith to leave with an irritated huff. Of course, what he got instead made his poor little heart stutter.

Keith smiled, chuckling a bit as he shook his head. “Figures. Not everyone from Texas has an accent, y’know?”

“Darn toot’n?” Lance grinned.

“Wow. That was lame.”

“I thought it was charming. I’m trying to speak your language.”

“I speak normal English, thanks.”

“There’s a snake in my boot!”

“Are those the only cowboy phrases you know?”

“No, I’m actually serious. I’m pretty sure a bug just crawled into my shoe.” Lance handed Forrest’s leash over to Keith and proceeded to untie his shoe. Sure enough, a little beetle fell out when he tipped his Converse to the side. Both Lance and Keith grimaced as the bug crawled away.

Keith was the one to break the silence. “You know, that probably wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t have a giant hole in the side of your shoe.”

Lance looked up from re-tying his laces. “Eh, true. But shoes cost money and I’m saving up for a PS4.”

“Video games over shoes; I see your priorities are in order.”

“What can I say, I’m a responsible guy.” Speaking of responsibility, Lance had wasted a little too much time. “I should get going; this little guy still needs another fifteen minutes of walking.”

Lance fluffed up the fur on Forrest’s head before taking the leash from Keith. The two stood, Keith brushing the grass off from his dark clothes.

At this point, Lance was left clueless. Yeah he liked Keith, but he’d only talked to the guy twice. Not only that, but Keith didn’t even live here. He was just passing through, staying for a short amount of time before he moved on to the next town. Was it too forward to ask for his number? Would it just be a waste of time?

“Any chance you’re free this weekend?” Keith asked.

Lance started at him for a moment, wondering if he was having some vivid hallucination. “I uh— yeah? Well, kind of.”

“’Kind of’? What does that mean?”

“Yeah I’m sitting for a lady this weekend. Two dogs, big house, and the owner is a little well… for lack of a better word, she’s a bit bitchy when it comes to her precious animals. One of those types who treats them like they’re her children. I have to stay at her place for most of the weekend ‘cause of the crazy schedule she has for them.”

“Oh…” Keith looked, dare he say, disappointed? Lance hoped at least. That tiny little flicker meant that he might have a chance.

“She said that I could have a friend over, if you don’t mind hanging around someone else’s house and taking a German Shepard and a Maltese out on a walk.”

“Yeah? That’s… a little weird. But yeah, that sounds alright.”

“Cool, here, give me your number.” Lance fished his phone out of his pocket and grimaced as several bright green doggie bags fell out. He hastily scooped them up and unlocked his phone, handing it to Keith. Lance was very proud of himself for how smoothly he was pulling this off, minus the whole poop bags falling out of his pocket. Things were going okay. Keith was surprisingly easy to talk to, even though staring at him for too long at him was sure to send Lance into a coma.

They said their goodbyes, Keith throwing another brilliant smile Lance’s way, and the day suddenly seemed brighter. More than once, Lance caught himself glancing over his shoulder as Keith walked away, marveling at the fact that he just got a boy’s number.

Once the park was out of sight, Lance pulled out his phone and texted Keith.

Lance: _Forrest misses you already._

They walked another block before he got a reply.

Keith: _Tell Forrest there’s enough of his hair on my clothes to make another dog._

Lance: _Just imagine what my laundry looks like, bro._

For a moment, Lance regretted adding the ‘bro’ at the end. It was a force of habit, but it might send the wrong message to his crush. At least he didn’t write ‘babe’ at the end. That would have been a catastrophe. 

Keith: _That bad huh?_

Lance: _So bad. I had to give up wearing black._

Keith: _I couldn’t do that if you paid me._

Keith: _Black is my signature color._

Lance snorted, utterly smitten with this strange boy. 

  

* * *

 

 

It was nearly three in the afternoon and Lance was pacing. The house he was currently staying at was very open, looking like an Ikea showroom with all of its streamlined, modern furniture. The two dogs he was taking care of were currently watching him from their plush beds in the living room. The German Shepard, Montana, had been bullied off of his bigger bed by the little Maltese, Mattie. Poor Montana could only fit his head and front paws on the bed while Mattie looked like a raja perched on the fluffy, larger bed. Lance snapped a picture for the owner and sent it to her.

Lance had changed his outfit four times, actually running to Target to try and find something somewhat stylish to try and compete with Keith. The boy took androgynous fashion to a whole new level and could easily walk onto a runway during New York Fashion Week. Lance wanted to at least show that he wasn’t a complete mess. Then again, the last time he saw Keith, Lance was wearing a beat-up pair of Converse and athletic shorts that he’d never actually used for their intended purpose. He had some ground to make up.

One quick trip to Target later, and he felt a bit more comfortable in his clothes for the day. Jeans that hugged is ass and legs _perfectly_ and a fit teal shirt that showed off his broad shoulders. One of the many benefits of being a swimmer for the better part of his young life was the toned muscles he’d earned as a result of all his hard work. It helped both in and out of the water.

In the middle of his 9th lap around the living room, the doorbell rang. Both dogs were up and barking like maniacs. They sprinted to the front door and begin pawing at it, eager to see who was there. Lance shushed them, gently pushing them out of the way as he peaked through the peep hole.

Keith was at the door, shuffling a little anxiously as he glanced down at his phone. Lance grinned taking a moment to appreciate how cute Keith was with his hair down. Lance unlocked the door and grinned at the boy.

Today’s outfit was less likely to stop traffic, but damn did it still look good. His shirt was long enough to be considered a dress, falling right above his knees. The sleeves were rolled up so that most of his arms were visible once again and his legs were clad in… _wait a sec_ —

“Are those jeggings?” The question kind came out as a giggle. Lance bit his lip, trying to remain calm as Keith threw him a flat stare.

“Really? Not even a ‘hello’?” Keith sighed.

“Hi. Are those jeggings?”

Keith stifled a laugh. “Hi, and yes they are. They’re super comfortable.”

“Nice.” Lance stepped aside, doing his best to tame the yapping animals behind him. Once the door was closed, both dogs pushed past him and crowded around Keith. Mattie was constantly jumping on his legs while Montana couldn’t seem to deal with his excitement. The German Shepard ran back and forth between Lance and Keith, licking their hands randomly.

“Alright, you little terrors, who wants to go outside?” Lance announced. Both dogs abandoned the humans and hurried to the patio doors. The clattering of their nails on the wood floors made Keith chuckle.

“I think they’re excited.”

“You think? It’s like they’ve never been in the backyard before.” Lance led Keith to the living room, where a sliding glass door opened to the lush backyard. Mattie and Montana sprinted passed them, tumbling over each other to get to the few scattered toys in the grass.

Lance and Keith sat in two of the lounging chairs near the pool, both of them watching as the dogs played together.

“So, this is weird,” Keith stated. Lance glanced over, a little nervous.

“Like… a bad weird?” he asked.

“No, just weird. People really let you just stay at their house while they’re away?”

Lance breathed a little sigh of relief. For a moment, he was worried that Keith had thought _this_ was weird. As in, the two of them hanging out was bizarre. When it came to his job, Lance was used to this type of confusion.

“Yeah, it’s a little strange, but so much fun. It’s kind of like I get a vacation with all the different houses I stay at.”

“I guess that’s kind of nice. Do the owners usually let you have people over?”

“Oh yeah, most of the people I met are super chill. They also insist I eat their food.”

“Wow, free place to stay and free food? Sounds kind of like a poor college kids dream.”

Lance shrugged. “If it is a dream, I hope I don’t wake up till I finish my undergrad.”

Keith nodded, smiling. Lance reveled in how easy it was to talk to Keith. Most first date situations felt a hell of a lot more awkward, but right now, Lance didn’t feel like he was searching for the right thing to say or stressing over every little move. Being around Keith was simple and strangely comfortable.

Of course in that moment, Lance realized that he mentally called this a date. Keith hadn’t explicitly said it was a date, and in retrospect Lance hadn’t either, but it felt like a one. It felt like this could turn into something more. Hell, Lance didn’t know if Keith was into guys. He could just be a straight guy, very, _very_ comfortable with his masculinity, though Lance hadn’t met anyone like that before. Swallowing his sudden panic, Lance turned to Keith.

“So, the other day you said you were looking at schools. What do you want to study?”

Keith slouched down in his chair and getting more comfortable. “I’m not really sure yet. I took some time off after high school, traveled a bit, but then I got bored. The movies make it look cool to aimlessly wonder around the country, but there’s a lot moments of just pure boredom. That and people you meet along the way can get a little too clingy.”

“Clingy how?”

“Well, there was this one girl who I rode next to on a train out of Chicago. We talked a bit, found out she was around the same age as me, and it was fine. But a few hours in she came back from the bathroom crying. She then went on to explain that her boyfriend just broke up with her and then told me about their entire two month relationship. I couldn’t go to the snack bar by myself after that.”

Lance chuckled. “Two months? Dude, I’ve had bottles of hot sauce last longer than her relationship. What could she have possibly told you that lasted more than few hours?”

“She… she kind of went into some _personal_ details.” Keith’s tone was more than enough to imply just what kind of conversations he was roped into. If that didn’t do it, his beet red cheeks practically spelled it out for him. Lance burst out laughing, trying to imagine Keith huddled up against the window of an Amtrak train all the while some little wisp of a girl went over every intimate aspect of her relationship.

Keith huffed. “I swear, if I didn’t already know I was gay, listening to some random girl’s sex life would have been my awakening. Not interested at all.”

Mentally, Lance was throwing himself a parade. Keith was into dudes. His window was open. Now all he had to do was not screw it up. Time to ramp up the charm.

“Like, that must have sucked and I’m sorry for you, but that’s some of the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. Also, trains? Who rides trains anymore?”

“Um, lots of people? It’s a really relaxing way to travel, minus some of the people. I don’t know, I just kind of like being able to zone out while watching the scenery zoom by. It’s… nice.”

Lance found himself grinning at the soft expression on Keith’s face. 

They sat like that for a while, talking to each other and watching the dogs. At one point, Lance found himself kneeling in the grass, playing tug-of-war with both dogs at the same time. Hours came and went and soon it was time for their evening walk. Lance wrestled Montana into his harness while Keith had a much easier time with Mattie.

They walked around the neighborhood, side by side with the dogs leading the way. Their idle chatter flowed, never pausing, never feeling forced, rolling smoothly. Lance let his imagination run away again, this time picturing a scenario where he and Keith did this regularly. A world in which they walked dogs together and then after a long day, went home together. Hell, this wasn’t even an official date and Lance was already planning out the next few years.

Once they made it back to the house, once the dogs released from their harnesses and fed, Lance turned to Keith.

“Any chance you wanna have dinner with me?” He put on his most winning smile, hoping that it was clear this wasn’t a ‘friend’ dinner.

“Uh, actually I need to get going. I’ve got a plane to catch in a couple hours.” Keith rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes down. Lance felt himself deflate.

He’d forgotten that all of this was temporary, that Keith was just passing through looking for a place to land. For a brief moment, Lance had thought that maybe Keith wasn’t going anywhere, that despite his goal of finding a school, finding Lance himself would be more than enough reason to stay. Of course, thinking about it now, it was kind of ridiculous. This was only the third time they had hung out. It seemed a bit conceded to think that Lance would be a good enough reason to move to a new state.

Despite feeling like he’d just gotten punched in the face, Lance kept up his smile. “Oh, where you heading off to next?”

“Home, actually. I’ve got some stuff I need to talk through with my parents.”

“Begging them for more money to keep up this nomad thing?” he joked.

“Not really, I think I have a pretty good idea where I want to be next semester. Just need to work out the details.”

Curious, Lance asked another question. “Um, any chance your thinking about coming here for school? N-not that you have to it’s just… well you’d have a friend if you did.”

“A friend, huh? I was kind of hoping for something a little more than that.”

“W-what?” Lance stammered, his cheeks growing warm.

The next moment seemed to happen too slow and too fast all at once. The build-up was agonizing. Keith confidently closed the distance between them, his violet eyes switching focus between Lance’s eyes and lips. Lance watched in awe as Keith’s pale cheeks began to flush, dusting his face in a soft pink color. Keith’s wild bangs clouded Lance’s view of that gorgeous face and before he even realized what he was doing, Lance was tucking a loose strand of hair behind Keith’s ear.

The actual kiss felt like it was over in the blink of an eye. Keith’s lips were soft and, dare he say, delicate as they pressed against Lance’s. It was the kind of kiss that was almost hesitant, guarded, a way to test one another to see if the feeling was mutual. Lance felt like his heart was going to beat out his chest from just that little kiss and he wanted desperately to feel more. As Keith pulled away, his violet eyes reflected exactly what Lance was feeling.

_More._

With his hand on Keith’s jaw, Lance pulled the other boy in for a longer kiss, tilting his head slightly to the side. Keith dove in more this time, his hands trailing up Lance’s chest and landing on his shoulders. Lance sighed at the touch, wrapping his free arm around Keith’s waist and tugging him a little closer. Soft pressure quickly transformed into restless desire as Keith nipped at Lance’s bottom lip, looking for a way inside. Lance tugged Keith’s body closer as he opened his mouth, their hips pressed against one another firmly.

There was nothing, _nothing_ that could possibly break them apart. Expect for a German Shepard barreling into the back Keith’s legs.

Keith yelped, his knees bending as Montana bounced back into playing with Mattie. It was a miracle neither of the boys bit each other, what with the amount of tongue they were using. Of course they didn’t make it completely unscathed as Keith’s forehead banged against Lance’s nose.

“Son of a _nutcracker_!” Lance rubbed his nose, checking to see if there was any blood.

“Shit, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, nothing’s broken. Damn, you have a hard head. Ow!”

Keith smacked Lance on the arm, frowning despite the amusement in his eyes. Lance rubbed his arm, trying his best to look aggravated, but failing miserably. He was still riding high from that kiss. A few more minutes of silent staring and then both boys were laughing. It started out just like their kiss, slow and hesitant until it became and overflowing.

Lance had tears in his eyes by the time he finally began to calm down. He swiped away the few that managed to slip by and clutched his stomach to try and slow his breathing.

“We… we are ridiculous,” he sighed.

“We? You’re the weird one,” Keith shot back, his voice just as winded.

“Dude, your first words to me were ‘I’m shirtless’. Not to mention, you’re moving to a new state just for a boy. A devilishly handsome boy, totally worth it, but still, weird.”

Keith poked Lance in the chest. “For your information, the school here was in my top three. They have a good writing program here.”

“Uh huh, right. Keep lying to yourself. Deep down you know it was my good looks that convinced you to move here. I know how charming I can be.”

“Ugh, is it always going to be like this with you?”

“I can guarantee it.”

“It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

Lance flushed at the compliment.

As much as Lance wanted him to stay, and as much as Keith clearly didn’t want to leave, their time was up. They waited for a few minutes while an Uber pulled up to the house. Lance walked Keith curb, fighting the urge to pull him back inside.

“So, I guess I’ll see you soon?” Lance asked, kicking his feet nervously.

“Yeah. Don’t know when exactly I’ll be back, but hopefully I’ll have time before classes start.”

“Cool.”

The Uber drive seemed to sense that this was a tender moment and didn’t honk or seem impatient. They let them have their moment in peace.

Lance wasn’t sure if a hug was a good way to end the night or if he should lean in for another kiss. Both acts were intimate, personal, but which was right for the strange situation they were in? Keith, on the other hand, didn’t waste time on thinking.

Keith gently held Lance’s face in hands, leading him down until their lips met. It wasn’t the brief kiss of their first time nor the passion driven exploration of their second, it was just _nice_. Nice and warm and safe. It was a promise, a little vision of what this relationship could be. A taste of the future.

After a few moments, Keith pulled back. “I’ll text you.”

“Not if I text you first.” Lance smirked.

“Are you making this a competition?”

“One that you’ll lose. I have mastered texting in even the most dangerous places. Like the front seat of a lecture or riding on my bike.”

“Please don’t text and ride your bike. You could actually die.”

“Don’t doubt the master, Keith. I don’t even have to look at my phone when I’m texting.”

Keith chuckled, rolling his eyes. “You’re going to drive me insane, aren’t you?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Trust me, I’ll make this crazy thing called life more exciting.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

After one final kiss, Lance was opening the car door for Keith.

“See you later, Keith.” Lance leaned on the car door for a while longer, memorizing the way Keith looked at that very moment.

“See you, Lance.”

The door closed with a muffled bang, and Lance stood on the curb long after the car carrying Keith drove away. A song played in his head, over and over again as he thought about every detail of this amazing week.

There were a lot moments in his life that Lance looked back on and questioned his decisions. Moving away from home was the biggest, especially when he’d hang up the phone after a long conversation with his mother. Homesickness hit him hard some nights and he always wondered if maybe things would be easier if he’d stayed home and gone to school there. But if he’d stayed home, he wouldn’t have been roommates with Hunk and got to spend every day with his best friend while they figured out they type of people they would grow up to be.

Lance sometimes questioned if he should have given in and taken the one real job he’d been offered, an office assistant at a local advertising company. The hours weren’t bad, the pay was reasonable, but he would have probably gone insane after the first month. He already spent a good amount of time at a desk, whether it be in class or at the library, he was sitting and working most days out of the week. Taking an office job and doubling the time he sat staring as a computer sounded like torture, quietly dying as the world continued to move without him, changing while he wasted his time in a bland cubical.

If Lance had taken that job, he never would have become a dog walker. Had he never become a dog walker, he never would have met Keith.

Yeah, there were times when Lance regretted his choices, times when he second guessed himself, but this was a moment of clarity when he realized that all his decisions were the right ones. All of them, by some strange act of fate, led him to this moment. A moment he would likely never forget.

Yeah, being a dog walker was a little odd, but it led Lance to Keith.


End file.
